Building construction



March 9, 1937. P. BETZLER BUILDING CONSTRUCTION 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed May 12, 1936 4 0 0 0 06 0? 0000 0n0w0u0 0 0000 0 0 0 0 0 0 O 0 0 0 Q 00 0 000000000000 009 wwnwfia.vvvvvv .vvwvv .3 0

O O 0 0 0 0 0 D INVENTOR PAUL BETZLEI? ATTORNEY March 9, 1937. P. BETZ LER 2,073,543

' BUILDING CONISTRUCTION Filed May 12, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 fizzy A .1 19

zezram-zzzwwwwazz:

- ENVENTOR PAUL. BETZLEI BY W I? E g 4 ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 9,1937

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BUILDING CONSTRUCTION Paul Betzler, New York, N. Y.-

Application May 12, 1936, Serial No. 79,316

9 Claims.

Primarily, my invention relates to an improved method of building hollow walls in which the advantages to be derived from the use of precast slabs of concrete or some such suitable plastic material are utilized together with the advantages pertaining to the ordinary method of concrete construction where the walls and other parts of a building are poured and allowed to harden in situ.

In this manner, walls can be built very rapidly at relatively low cost, yet possessing a strength and solidity which can favorably compare with those possessed by concrete Walls of the monolithic type.

Accordingly, the primary object of the invention is to provide a novel and-improved construction of hollow wall comprising an outer wall element and an inner wall element, said wall elements being built out of precast units or slabs made of preferably reinforced cementitious ma- 25 terial, arranged side by side, and column elements interposed at spaced intervals between said wall elements, said column elements being pouredtwo wall elements formed of a number of such slabs.

A further object is to provide a building unit or slab of the character specified having a groove extending all along each of its vertical edges, adapted to form with a similar groove of a similar slab arranged side by side in the same plane therewith, a recessed groove adapted to cooperate with the anchors with which each slab is provided in solidly binding said slabs to a column cast in situ between two wall elements each formed of a number of such slabs.

A still further object is to provide in a hollow wall construction comprising an outer and an inner wall element each consisting of precast building unit or slabs arranged side by side and provided with inwardly extending anchor members, a novel and improved method of utilizing said anchor members and the inner surfaces of 55 the wall elements for producing molds adapted for the pouring of concrete between the two wall elements in order to obtain column elements as well as bond beams solidly binding together the building units and the wall elements formed thereby in a virtually solid monolithic wall.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will more fully appear as the description proceeds andwill be set forth and claimed in the appended claims.

Myinvention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a view in perspective of the building unit or slab employed in my method of wall construction, in its preferred form; V

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section of part of a wall embodying my invention illustrating the relation between adjoining slabs and. wall elementsand a column joining said elements together;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view in perspective of one of the wall elements shown in Fig. 2, illustrating the relation between two adjoining slabs, a column and a bond beam;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary section through a wall embodying my invention; I

Fig. 5 is a detail view of a length of metal lath prepared for use in forming a mold for a column and a bond beam integral therewith;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary cross section of a wall in course of erection showing the manner; of [retaining the two spaced wall,elements-Whilethe grout for producing a column element i being poured;

Fig. '7 is a fragmentary vertical of a wall embodying my invention; and

Fig. 8 is a horizontal section thereof. I

In a patent entitled, Interlocking unit 0011'- structions, issued to me May 6, 1930, #1,757,763, I have described a building unit or slab of a special construction comprising a web body having one of its longitudinal edges inwardly bent at an angle to the surface of said body to form a rib integral therewith and having its other longitudinal edge bent inwardly laterally and, outwardly to form a hook sectioned beam or column member, adapted to receive and interlock with the rib member of an adjoining unit.

In another patent entitled, Building slabs, issued to me December 1, 1931, #1334392, I have described and claimed an improved building unit or slab comprising a web body and two ribs, pref erably tapering in section, extending therefrom in proximity of each longitudinal edge thereof, one of said ribs being spaced inwardly of the adjoining longitudinal edge and the other rib be ing offset outwardly of the adjoining longitudinal edge so as to form therewith a recess adapted to receive and'interlock with the projecting longitudinal edge of an adjoining slab or unit.

In still another patent entitled, Wall constructions, issued to me December 27, 1932, #1.892,605, I have described and claimed a wall construction comprising two transversely spaced wall elements each consisting of a plurality of superimposed horizontal sections, each section consisting of a longitudinal series of substantially flat units placed edge to edge and interlocking with one another by means of a tongue and groove joint, the units composing one of the wall elements being positioned and connected to the units composing the other wall element by means of separately insertable tie members extending therebetween, said tie members also forming an inter-.

locking connection between the adjoining edges of units belonging to adjoining horizontal sections, so as to form a single wall structure in which each unitary element directly or indirectly interlocks with all the others.

In all the arrangements advocated in my previous patents, the stability of a structure is mainly dependent upon the interlocking connection provided between adjoining units, and only in a minor degree depends upon such bond as may exist between the precast units or slats and such other elements which may be produced in situ in order to complete the structure. In the case of the arrangement described in Patent #1,892,605 practically all the elements going into the construction of a wall are precast and detachably connected to one another so that the wall is demountable and therefore to a certain' degree lacks the solidity of a permanent structure. In my present invention I have endeavored to retain the advantages pertaining to the elongated slabs shown in my first and second patent above referred to and also the advantages of the hollow wall construction shown in my last mentioned patent, further improving the last named type of construction-by providing column elements of a permanent character and poured in situ as the means for securely joining together and interlocking with the two wall elements, so as to form a structure having great rigidity and strength, yet adapted to be produced at relatively low cost, because of the considerable savings in material and labor made possible thereby.

In Fig. 1 I illustrate the preferred form of building unit or slab which may be used in connection with my invention. In the same it will be seen that the slab essentially consists of a preferably reinforced web body l having each vertical or longitudinal edge of its inner surface formed with a recess ll, l2, extending for the entire length thereof, the sectional outline of said recess forming one-half of a dove-tailed groove which will result when two slabs are placed edge to edge alongside of each other, as shown in Fig. 2. 1

Each longitudinal edge portion of the slab is further provided with a number of vertically spaced anchor elements such as shown at l3, said anchor elements having their inner end I! embedded into the slab and their outer end bent towards the opposite edge along the inner surface of the slab as shown at i5, then bent outwardly' aovaese Fig. 2 and ti" forming part of the other wall element as 2 at 19, the tract I5 of the anchors of one of the slabs will remain in the same vertical plane with the tracts l6 of the anchors of the other slab, thus forming vertically spaced points of attachment for a slat or lath such as shown at 20 forming one of the sides of a mold for pouring the grout or concrete going to form the column 2|.

As shown in Fig. 2, the mold for the column is completed at the opposite end by another slat or lath 22 which is attached to the anchors inwardly projecting from slats l8, l9 which are placed edge to edge alongside slats ll, IB'respecchors li-IG' will thus remain embedded in the resulting column element, so that said column will firmly join together adjoining slabs of the same wall element and one wall element to the other through, the intermediary of said anchor members: furthermore, the strength of the bond thus created between these various elements is still further enhanced by the two dove-tailed tenons formed as part of the column element going to fill the -dove tailed grooves formed by adjoining grooves H, l2 in each wall element, the resulting structure having substantially the strength and rigidity of a monolithic wall.

In proximity of the ceiling of each story produced as a building goes up, the various column elements formed in the wall are joined by horizontal bond beams as such as shown at 23, which are produced at the same time therewith, by horizontally extending the column'molds between the two wall elements at such points where the bond beams are to be' provided.

To this end the lath 20, of one column 24 is bent horizontally towards an adjoining column 25 as shown at 28, and the lath 22 of said column 25 is bent horizontally toward the other column 24 as shown at 21 so as to provide a bottom for the'horizontal mold section extending between said two columns within which can be poured grout to form 'the bond beam 23 as shown in Fig. 4. The vertical portions of the laths can be secured to tracts lG-IG' of the anchor members, by means of tie members or clips such as shown at 28, and the horizontal portions 21 of said laths can be suspended from longitudinal reinforcing bars 28, running along the line of bond beams, by means, of wires or suspension members 30.

In order to hold the edges of the vertical portions of the laths against bulging, I prefer to provide the slabs with longitudinal grooves such as shown at 3| within which the edges of said laths can be inserted. The upper portion 28' of a lath 20' shown in Fig. 5, which upper part 2'' is to be bent horizontally to form the bottom of the bond beam mold as explained, is preferably trimmed along its edges as shown at 22, 33,

in order to reduce its width to correspond to the The column elements are preferably reinforced by vertical bars 34 in the usual manner, such bars providing a vertical bond between the various superimposed column sections as they are built.

The longitudinal edges of the outer surface of the slats are preferably beveled to a certain extent as shown at 35 so that when two slabs are placed edge to edge as shown in Fig. 2 together they form a vertical V shaped groove 36 which will become filled with the outer coating of stucco or other material and improve the bond between said coating and the underlying slabs. Furthermore, the added thickness that the outercoating will have at such points will serve to effectively conceal the junction line between adjoining slabs, which might otherwise be ill concealed by a relatively thin layer.

In Fig. 8 I show how two walls can be joined at a corner by means of a corner column 31 which can be poured by producing a mold, two sides of which will be constituted by slats or laths secured onto the anchor members of the adjoining slabs and the other two sides of which may be built up in any desired or well known manner.

In order to maintain the wall elements at the proper distance from each other before the column elements are poured therebetween, said wall elements may be held in place by means of any suitable positioning and retaining device such as for instance,-the tie member 38 shown in Fig. 6 which is provided with recesses 39 and 40 properly spaced for placement over the edge portions of the wall elements 4i, 42, retaining them at the proper distance from each other, Said tie members can, of course, be removed before the bond beam between the two wall elements is formed.

In Fig. 2 I show how the inner surface of the wall thus erected can be provided with means for securing metal lath thereto as a foundation for plastering. In the same it is seen that a furring strip 43 can be used, said furring strip being provided with a series of vertically spaced anchoring members or clips 44 insertable between the edges of two adjoining slabs. 'In this manner, the anchoring members 44 projecting within the dove-tailed groove l|l2, formed by the inner edges of the slabs will remain securely embedded within the column element 2|, the furring strip remaining on the outside of the inner surface of the wall. This being done the usual metal lath foundation 45 may be secured onto the furring strips and the plaster 46 may be applied onto the metal lath in the usual manner.

If desired, in order to facilitate handling and erecting, at the same time increasing the rigidity of the slabs and lessening the chances of breakage, the slabs can be formed with one or more longitudinal ribs laterally spaced from the edges thereof without in any way modifying their arrangement in the building of a wall.

It is also within the scope of my invention to build a wall comprising one wall element only and column elements and bond beams binding and reinforcing the structure at its inner side in the manner explained, in which case the inner surface of each column element may be directly provided with a furring strip onto which the lath for plastering can be secured. Such a construction will be found to provide suflicient strength and rigidity when used in building small houses which have to be produced at a relatively low cost, although the heat insulating properties of such a wall are naturally less than in the case of a wall comprising two wall elements separated by an air space. Furthermore, although I prefer to use slabs made of cementitious material such as reinforced concrete, it is possible to substitute in their place slabs or units made out of sheet metal, said units being joined into a solid wall structure by column elements and bond beams poured in situ in the manner.

above described.

Other constructional details of the invention may vary to a certain extent from those shown without departing from the inventive idea; the drawings will therefore be understood as being intended for illustrative purposes only and not in a limiting sense. Accordingly, I reserve the right to carry. my invention into practice in all those ways and manners which may enter, fairly, into the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A building unit of the character specified, comprising a web body having its inner surface formed with a recess running along each of its lateral edges, said recess extending from the inner toward the outer surface of said body and becoming wider as it so extends, so as to form, with a similar recess of another unit placed edge to edge with said building unit, a female housing adapted to receive a male tenoned member registering therewith, and anchoring members having a part embedded within said body and a part projecting therefrom, adapted to form a bond between said units and said tenoning membar when said tenoned member is obtained by pouring self hardening plastic cementitious material within said housing, whereby said tenoned member will laterally bind one of said units to the other.

2. A building unit of the character specified, comprising a web body having its inner surface formed with a recess running along each of its lateral edges, said recess extending from'the inner toward the outer surface of said body and becoming wider as it so extends, so as to form,

' with a similar recess of another unit placed edge to edge with said building unit, a female hous ing adapted to receive a male tenoned member registering therewith, and anchoring members having a part embedded within said body and a part projecting therefrom at right angles to said inner surface, from a point inwardly spaced from the edge of said recess, the projecting parts of the anchoring members along each edge being all in the same plane parallel to said edge, and being adapted to form a bond between said units and said tenoned member when said tenoned member is obtained by pouring self hardening plastic cementitious material within said housing;

3. A building unitof the character specified, comprising a web body having its inner surface formed with a recess running along each of its lateral edges, said recess extending from the inner towards the outer surface of said body and becoming wider as it so extends, so as to form, with a similar recess of another unit placed edge to edge with said building unit, a female housing adapted to receive a male tenoned member registering therewith, anchoring members having a part embedded within said body and a part projecting therefrom, at right angles to said inner surface, from a point inwardly spaced from the edge of said recess, the projecting parts of the anchoring members along each edge being all in the same plane parallel to said edge, and being adapted to form a bond between said units and said-tenoned member when said tenoned member is obtained by pouring self hardening plastic cementitious material within said housing, and a groove parallel to each recess extending .along the inner surface ofsaid body at a point inwardly spaced from the plane of the parts of the anchoring members projecting therefrom.

4. A wall construction composed of two transversely spaced wall elements, each consisting of a plurality of units arranged edge to edge, each unit having its inner surface formed with a re-{ cess running along each of its lateral edges, adjoining recesses of adjoining units together forming a female housing extending from the inner toward the outer surface of the wall element and becoming wider as it so extends, the vertical housings thus formed in each wall element being directly opposite the vertical housings formed in the other, anchoring members having a part embedded in each lateral edge portion of each unit and a part projecting from the inner surface thereof towards the opposite wall element, and self hardening originally plastic cementitious material poured between said wall elements forming vertical columns filling each set of opposite vertical housings and embedding the anchoring membersadjacent thereto,

5. A wall construction composed of two transversely spaced wall elements, each consisting of a plurality of units arranged edge to edge, each unit having its inner surface formed with a recess running along each of its lateral edges, adjoining recesses of adjoining units together forming a female housing extending from the inner toward the outer surface of the wall element and becoming wider as it so extends, the vertical housings thus formed in each wall element being directly opposite the vertical houso ings formed in the other, anchoring members having apart embedded in each lateral edge portion of each unit and a part projecting from the inner surface thereof, at right angles thereto, toward the opposite wall element, the projecting parts of opposite anchoring members being in the same vertical plane and forming a support for one of the faces of a mold completed by a similar face supported by the anchoring members projecting from the adjoining edges of the adjoining units and by the inner edge portions of the inner surfaces of said units intervening between said faces, and self hardening originally plastic, cementitious material poured within each mold, forming vertical columns filling each set of opposite vertical housings and embedding the anchoring members adjacent thereto. I

6. A wallconstruction composed of two transversely spaced wall elements, each consisting of a plurality of units arranged edge to edge, each unit having its inner surface formed with a recess running along each of its lateral edges, adjoining recesses of adjoining units together forming a female housing extending from the inner toward the outer surface of the wall element and becoming wider as it so extends, the vertical housings thus formed in each wall element being directly opposite the vertical housings formed in the other, anchoring members having a part embedded in each lateral edge portionof each unit and a part projecting from the inner surface thereof towards the opposite wall element; and self hardening originally plastic cementitious material poured between said wall element forming vertical columns filling each set of opposite vertical housings and embedding the anchoring members adjacent thereto, and horizontal beam members connecting adjacent vertical columns.

- 7. A wall construction composed of two transversely spaced wall elements, each consisting of a plurality of units arranged edge to edge, each unit having its inner surface formed with a recess running along each of its lateral edges, adjoining recesses of adjoining units together forming a female housing extending from the inner toward the outer surface of the wall element and becoming wider as it so extends, the vertical housings thus formed in each wall element being directly opposite the vertical housings formed in the other, anchoring members having a part embedded in each lateral edge portion of each unit and a part projecting from the inner surface thereof, at right angles thereto, towards the opposite wall element, the projecting parts of opposite anchoring members being in the same vertical plane and forming a support for one of the faces of a mold completed by a similar face supported by the anchoring members projecting from the adjoining edges ofthe adjoining units and by the inner edge portions of the inner surfaces of said units intervening between said faces, and self hardening originally plastic cementitious material poured within-each mold, forming vertical columns filling each set of opposite vertical housings and embedding the anchoring members adjacent thereto. and horizontal beam members connecting adjacent vertical columns.

8. A wall construction composed of two transversely spaced wail elements, each consisting of a plurality of units arranged edge to edge, each unit having its inner surface formed with a recess running along each of its lateral edges, adjoining recesses of adjoining units together forming a female housing extending from the inner toward the outer surface of the wall element and becoming wider as it so extends, the vertical housings thus formed in each wall element being directly opposite the vertical housings formed in the other, anchoring members having a part embedded in each lateral edge portion of each unit and a part projecting from the inner surface thereof towards the opposite wall element, self hardening originally plastic cementitious material poured between said wall elements forming vertical columns filling each set of opposite vertical housings and embedding the anchoring members adjacent thereto, horizontal beam members connecting adjacent vertical columns, reinforcing vertical bars within said columns, and reinforcing horizontal bars within said horizontal beam members.

9. A wall construction comprising a plurality of units arranged edge to edge, each unit having its inner surface formed with a recess running along each of its lateral edges, adjoining recesses of adjoining units together forming a female housing extending from the inner toward the outer surface of the wall element and becoming wider as it so extends, anchoring members having a part embedded in each lateral edge portion of each unit and a part projecting from the inner surface thereof, column elements at the back of said wall filling said housings and embedding the anchoring members adjacent thereto, so as to laterally bind adjoining units to one another, and horizontal beam members connectixm adjacent vertical columns.

. PAUL BETZLER. 

